New Ownership for One of the Country’s Best Backpackers Hostels

Deepdale Backpackers and Camping, the multi award winning backpackers hostel and campsite at Burnham Deepdale on the north Norfolk coast, will have new owners on 23rd February.

Louise Smith and Andrea Bramhall are relocating from the North West to Norfolk to follow a dream and have a complete change of lifestyle.  Gone are the days of office jobs, instead they’ll be welcoming guests to the hostels and campsite, and enjoying the open spaces and opportunities of the north Norfolk coast.

Louise – “I always loved the outdoor life and to run a campsite had
always been a dream – so when the opportunity at Deepdale came up it
was everything I could wish for and more.”

 Andrea – “There are moments in life where you look about you and you
feel like you have just come home.  This was how we felt the first time
we came to Deepdale.  This is a wonderfully exciting once in a lifetime
adventure that I can’t wait to begin!”

Louise and Andrea take over the business from Alister and Jason
Borthwick, father and son partnership, who built and managed the
business from a small campsite only open in August to a tourism
business that accommodated over 31,000 bed nights in 2008.

 “The new energy and ideas that Louise and Andrea bring to Deepdale will
be great for the business.  We had incredible interest from potential
tenants, over 150 enquiries, and Louise and Andrea fought off stiff
competition to become our preferred tenants.  They take on a strong
business, which we all hope they can continue to strengthen.  I now get
the chance to spend a lot more time with my wife and the ever
increasing number of grandchildren,” said Alister Borthwick.

Initially Louise and Andrea look forward to running the business along
the same lines, “why fix what isn’t broken”, and then put their mark on
the place by developing writers workshops, singles walking and biking
weeks, artists and photographers weeks and many other winter
activities.  They look forward to working with the local businesses in
the area, especially the businesses at Dalegate Market, another
development by Alister and Jason.

“There are many opportunities for us to look at.  We’re looking forward
to the challenges this first season will throw at us, but relish the
opportunity to take up the reins.  Lonely Planet already describes
Deepdale as one of the country’s best backpackers hostels and we plan
to keep it that way,” said Louise.

“Do you believe in love at first sight?  Well I do now!  Deepdale is a
beautiful and charming place; every visit has been an adventure for us,
and our two dogs, who have discovered the pure unadulterated joy of
chasing waves!” said Andrea.

As Louise and Andrea take the reins, Alister Borthwick will take a step
towards retirement and Jason Borthwick will look for the next
opportunity for the family business to invest in.  Hostels elsewhere in
the East of England are high on the list and he’s developing his
consultancy business, Earthly Ideas.  “I’m always on the look out for
suitable locations for hostels.  Backpackers love the East of England,
but are seldom catered for.  We know we have a successful formula at
Deepdale, which will only benefit from feeder hostels around the
region, so watch this space,” said Jason.

Louise and Andrea look forward to welcoming guests all year round in
the backpackers hostel, campsite, tipis, group hostel and visitor
information centre – www.deepdalebackpackers.co.uk

Fairtrade Fortnight 2009 is being launched Sunday 22 February

Supreme Creations launched the UK’s first Fairtrade cotton supermarket carrier bag with the Co-operative stores and now have the widest rage of Fairtrade, Organic and natural cotton and jute bags for exhibitions, give-aways, packaging and retail.

As the largest ethical manufacturer with over 2,000 employees, when we drop our prices, we don’t drop our standards. It’s a tough climate and economic realities are daunting. And yet, some
businesses will respond proactively and effectively, while others are
left behind. Call 0845 230 5996 or email Kiran@supreme-london.com quoting ‘Special 14′.

Orders must be confirmed by 06 Feb for delivery to you for Fairtrade
Fortnight. (subject to acceptable artwork and approval by the Fairtrade
Foundation). This offer is not valid in combination with any other
offers, discounts or promotions. Click here to see the range.

Save the dates!
 
The seventh WALK YOUR TALK conference will take place this year from the afternoon of Sunday 8th to Wednesday 11th November 2009 at Buckland Hall, near Brecon in Wales.
 
Further details, including early bird rates, will follow shortly. If you have colleagues or friends who would like to receive news of WALK YOUR TALK 2009, please let us know.

Social Enterprise Coalition
International Conference Centre, Birmingham
10 -11 February 2009

Now in its fifth year, Voice09 is the Social Enterprise Coalition’s annual conference for the social enterprise movement in the UK. This year’s event will focus on pushing the frontiers of where and how social enterprise does business, exploring new business models and ways of working.

This event will be the largest conference for social enterprise in the UK, high profile speakers from government and the sector are expected to speak alongside an agenda of workshops and seminars to help further the sector.

Voice09 promises to be our biggest and best conference yet! With
over 1,000 delegates and 80 exhibitors, Voice09 will be the world’s
largest ever social enterprise event, where you’ll hear from inspiring
social enterprise leaders, senior members of Government, and a wide
range of social enterprise experts. 

So who will be attending…?

• Managers, employees and board members of social enterprises
• Social entrepreneurs thinking of considering a new venture
• Social enterprise specialist support bodies
• Members and officers from local authorities
• Board members and staff from Regional Development Agencies
• Politicians and officials from government departments and devolved administrations
• Housing associations
• Voluntary organisations, charities and community organisations seeking to engage in enterprise activity
• Business advisors, Business Links
• Banks, CDFIs and other financial institutions
  

Voice09 will provide your business with…

• Plenty of time within the programme for delegates to visit stands
• A unique national platform to exhibit your services
• Fantastic networking opportunities with people from across the movement
• A chance to interact with your competitors and other sector representatives
  

Exhibition Stand Fees:

Corporate Rate  £1,499.00 + VAT
Government Support Body Rate  £1,249.00 + VAT
Reduced rate (Charities, Voluntary sector & Academic)   £899.00 + VAT
Social Enterprise rate  £699.00 + VAT
Supported rate – (This fee applies to direct members of the Social Enterprise Coalition only)  £649.00 + VAT
Space only stands (4m x 3m)  £2,000.00 + VAT

Please follow the link to take a look at the floor plan for the
conference  http://www.tcp-events.co.uk/voice09/exhibitionfloorplan.html

And to book your stand
http://www.tcp-events.co.uk/voice09/exhibitorregistration.html please
note space is limited so register early to avoid disappointment.

For more information or if you have any queries about  booking, please
contact me or the Voice09 Conference team on Tel: 01323 637714, Fax:
01323 637777,

Email: voice09@confpeople.co.uk  website: www.voice09.org We want to
make Voice09 the most educational, innovative and inspiring exhibition
experience for all.

Treat a loved one to the oriental splendour of traditional Gujarati design

The Saathay range of traditional arts and crafts, featuring wall hangings, bags, tableware, bedding and cushion covers, with their vibrant colours, detailed embroidery and rich mirror work are an expression and celebration of the natural joy and simplicity of the Gujarati artisans who produce them.

With 15% off all items until 20th December this is a perfect opportunity to bring some of this bright and joyful spirit into your home or to offer as a gift to loved ones this Christmas. Simply enter promotional code EJ2008 at the checkout to get your 15% discount.

Gentle Action, Science, Society and Consciousness
Saturday 10 January 2009

Resurgence Magazine and Schumacher College presents a day exploring ways of building resilient communities. Featuring gentle action, expansion of consciousness and making science work in harmony with people and the planet.

With David Peat, author of “Blackfoot Physics” and “Gentle Action”; Amit Goswami, of “What the Bleep Do We Know?” and Professor of Physics at the University of Oregon, USA; Brigit Strawbridge of BBC2’s “It’s Not Easy Being Green” & founder of the Big Green Idea and Satish Kumar, Editor of Resurgence Magazine

Admission: £25, Concessions: £15. Accessible for the disabled, Lunch available from Shambhu’s.

11am – 5pm Maria Assumpta Centre, 23 Kensington Square, London W8 5HN

RSVP Peter Lang, Resurgence Events Director peterlang@resurgence.org or call 020 8809 2391

Wimborne based Recruitment Company helps to save 200,000 trees by sending e-Christmas cards this year

Allen & York are specialists in the Natural and Built environment sectors, focusing heavily on supporting sustainability by initially turning their offices into a green building at the beginning of 2008.

This year Allen & York have decided to send green Christmas e-cards to stakeholders and have also dedicated 20 new trees in collaboration with the Woodland Trust, as part of their corporate social responsibility within the local community. 

The values of protecting the environment are underpinned in the Company and their actions, and plans will soon be uncovered of efforts to becoming even greener for the future.

Every year over 200,000 trees are pulped to create the cards sent over the Christmas period which last a matter of weeks and as a result cause the environment damage that will take years to overcome.

Mark Allen, Managing Director at Allen & York, said “It is extremely important to help protect the environment whilst still being able to send out the Christmas message through other channels. By using our ‘recycling focused e-card’ we are in-keeping with the Company’s values and maximising the message to reduce, reuse and recycle!”

Situated near Hazelbury Bryan in Dorset, Hazel Wood was a recently planted site, designed and planted in 1999 by local people to the area. Almost a decade later, Hazel Wood is home to a mixture of native broadleaves including; ash, willow, oak, field maple and hornbeam, densely covering 62% of the original site.

Working in collaboration with the Woodland Trust, Allen & York are delighted to be helping to support Hazel Wood, the UK’s woodland, which is destroyed each year during the festive season.

The Woodland Trust is a woodland conservation charity – established in 1972 – that now has over 1000 sites across the UK covering 50,000 acres of woodland.

“Allen & York are committed to help support and facilitate the successful progression of individuals who have a positive impact on the management of our built and natural environments, our health and safety and our quality of life.” Mark Allen went on to say, “We are not only focused on placing people in the environmental industry, but also supporting the environmental structure of our local community.”

A uniquely BioRegional event
Wednesday 3rd December 2008 in London from 9am to 5pm

This convergence of practitioners will bring together an international array of partners who are delivering cutting edge sustainability projects that apply the 10 principles of One Planet Living®. The event will provide genuine opportunities to create solutions and learn together; not just another sustainability conference!

This event is for all those rising to the challenges of the 21st century by creating places, products and services which enable people to lead high quality lives within a sustainable ecological footprint. The day will include developers, housing associations, consultants, architects, planners, retailers, energy companies, municipal authorities and policy makers.

Featured projects

• One Brighton urban living, UK

• Sonoma Mountain Village mixed-use community, USA

• B&Q One Planet Living retail, UK

• Masdar City zero carbon city, UAE

• One Planet 2012 London Olympics, UK

• London Borough of Sutton eco-footprint reduction, UK

• Mata de Sesimbra eco-tourism and conservation development, Portugal

Where and when

9am to 5pm
Wednesday 3rd December 2008
The Room by the river
99 Upper Ground
London SE1 9PU

Prices

Corporate and central government £395 + VAT

SMEs, Registered Charities and Local Government £295 + VAT

Book before the end of October and receive a 25% discount

Key reasons to attend

Create cost-effective solutions for the challenges of sustainability with leading experts.

Develop working relationships with key sustainability practitioners around the world.

Share best practice with cutting edge sustainable community developments and businesses.

Speaker participants

Kevin McCloud
TV presenter and design guru

Sunand Prasad
President of the RIBA

Richard Simmons
Chief Executive, CABE

Jill Rutter
Director of Strategy and Sustainable Development, Defra

Hank Dittmar
Chief Executive, The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment

Professor Paul Ekins
Professor of Energy & Environment Policy, King’s College London

Pete Halsall
Managing Director,
BioRegional Quintain Ltd

Sue Riddlestone
Executive Director and Co-Founder of BioRegional

Geof Syphers
Chief Sustainability Officer, Codding Enterprises

Professor Sir Ghillean Prance
Scientic Director of the Eden Project

Stephen Stone
CEO, Crest Nicholson PLC

Pooran Desai
One Planet Living Technical Director and Co-Founder of BioRegional

Mike Beavan
Sustainability Leader, Arup Associates

Find out more and book online at www.oneplanetoneday.co.uk or call +44(0) 20 8404 4880

Stands and sponsorship

Stand packages available for £1000 including two complimentary tickets. To discuss the options available please contact Ronan Leyden on +44(0) 20 8404 4897 or ronan.leyden@bioregional.com

BioRegional’s One Planet Living Programme is based on 10 principles developed by BioRegional and WWF.

BioRegional, originators of the term ‘One Planet Living’, are working with partners throughout the world on practical projects that incorporate the ten principles of One Planet Living. These range from new communities to sustainability plans for municipal authorities and major retailers.

Earthwatch Debate
Thursday 20th November, 7.00pm-9.00pm, at the Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR.

The ever-popular and thought-provoking Earthwatch Debate this year focuses on the world’s most irreplaceable species – choose between bees, bats, fungi, plankton and primates (but not man!), championed by leaders in their field.

Chair – Andrea Catherwood, TV broadcaster & independent film producer

Our speakers for the evening

• Bats – Dr. Kate Jones, the Zoological Society of London
• Bees – Dr. George McGavin, entomologist, author, TV presenter and explorer
• Fungi – Prof. Lynne Boddy, Cardiff School of Biosciences
• Plankton – Prof. David Thomas, School of Ocean Sciences, University of Bangor
• Primates – Ian Redmond OBE, Chairman of the Ape Alliance

Doors open at 6.00pm (cash bar); debate to be followed by a second cash bar, 9.00-9.30pm.

Entrance free to Earthwatch supporters; otherwise a small donation will be requested on the door. Optional buffet supper, with a chance to talk with the speakers, 9.00-10.30pm – supper tickets £25.00

For tickets and more information, please contact the Earthwatch Europe Events Department on (01865) 318856; events@earthwatch.org.uk

For more information visit the Earthwatch website

If you work in climate change or environment, despite the financial turmoil you are probably still interested in knowing just what the world’s biggest companies are doing about it.

If you are, read on. Because registration is now open for Ethical Corporation’s 3rd Annual Climate Change Summit, to be held in London on 17-18 February 2009.

Book before the 12th of December to take advantage of the early bird discounts and save up to £350! Quote ETH100 to get an extra £100 off your ticket price!

This conference is one of the most popular gatherings of corporate responsibility, climate change and environmental professionals in Europe. It has been attended by over 600 executives in the last two years.

The summit offers an unrivalled speaker roster and unmatchable networking opportunities. Take a look at what’s happening at: www.ethicalcorp.com/climate/5.

The conference features VP and Director level speakers from Unilever, Centrica, Lloyds TSB, BT, Man Group, Henkel and Defra.

For a full speaker list go to www.ethicalcorp.com/climate/speakers.asp.

For this conference, as always, months of research have gone into creating the agenda. It will cover the most critical issues in business and climate change right now.

We’ll be discussing energy efficiency, water, carbon, supply chain management, communications and stakeholder engagement strategies in depth at the conference.

So to sum up: top speakers, unique networking opportunities and a cutting-edge agenda relevant to you, all in the same summit. If you want to come along, please register today.

Interested in knowing more or registering? Then why not call us on +44 (0)207 375 7575
Email Ekaterina – e.kvasova@ethicalcorp.com to get more information and a copy of the brochure or go to the website